Different avatars of your favourite comfort food, khichdi

The one-pot meal is often looked as a quick fix when you are in the throes of hunger pangs and are hard pressed for time. It’s also the staple diet when you are under the weather or the comfort food when you are missing home. Its popularity that has remained steady over the years stems from the fact that it is nutritious, easy to make and digest. Like an old friend it has stayed ubiquitous without being too conspicuous until recently when it came to the forefront to contest the title for the national food of the country. Lovneet Batra, chief nutritionist at Fortis La femme, New Delhi, says, “Khichdi is one of the healthiest dishes in Indian cuisine. It’s a wholesome meal and is complete protein. The main ingredients rice and lentils complement each other as the former makes up for the absence of lysine (the building block of essential proteins needed to boost immunity and gut health) in dal. As it is nutrient dense, it gives an instant burst of energy as is good for both weight watchers and the ailing lot.” The myriad benefits part, did you know khichdi is also the most versatile dish and serves as the perfect medium for the expression of your culinary skills? It can easily take up different flavours and textures depending upon the ingredients used. That’s why khichdi varies in taste and appearance as it moves from one region to the other. Here’s a look at the popular varieties from across the country.

Pongal from Tamil NaduThe dish that symbolises festivities in the harvest season is but a variation of the good old khichdi. Made of rice and lentil, the ghee-laced pongal rice can be either sweet or savoury. While the sweeter version known as chakkara pongal, served as an offering to the deity in temples, is peppered with dried fruits, the melagu pongal is lavishly smattered with pepper corn and is a tad spicy.

Keema khichdi from Andhra PradeshThe Nizams of Hyderabad are credited for the creation of this dish, which is a concoction of rice-lentil and minced meat. It comes quite close in taste to the biryani found in the region. This variety of khichdi is served with khatta, a sour runny side.

Bisi bele bhath from KarnatakaWhile most other rice-lentil khichdi use moong dal, bisi bele bhath in Karnataka is made of toor dal. But that’s not the only ingredient which makes it unique. There’s a masala mix comprising 30 spices that goes into to dish, giving it a distinct spicy and delicious taste. It also has a generous dose of seasonal vegetables and is served with a drizzle of pure ghee.

Khichdi from GujaratThe history of khichdi in Gujarat dates back 600 years to the era of Sultan Ahmed Shah I, the founder of Ahmedabad. So fond was he of khichdi that he is believed to have eaten it every single evening of his life. The humble dish is a popular dinner time dish in the state and has different varieties—with and without vegetables, sweet and savoury versions. Irrespective of what variety you opt for, it is almost always served with the sweet Gujarati kadhi.

Khichdi from BiharIt’s during sankranti that khichdi dons an exalted status in Bihar. Served as an offering to deities, it is made of black gram (urad dal), rice, chillies and ginger with a dash of asafoetida and pure ghee. In Bihari homes it is served with an accompaniment of the quintessential chokha--a brinjal and potato mash spiced with chillies, raw onion and mustard oil.

Bajra khichdi from RajasthanRice is scarce in Rajasthan and thereby its coveted place in khichdi is taken by either bajra (millet) or jawar (sorghum) that lends the dish a unique taste. The accompaniments are usually curd, pickle and lehsun (garlic) ki chutney.

Khichuri from West BengalThe typical Bengali khichdi is more like a delicious gruel made of roasted moong dal, rice, ginger and pure ghee. Since it’s offered as prasad at puja pandals, there’s no onion or garlic in it. A huge favourite among the people of the state it’s usually eaten with an array of vegetable fritters or fried fish (hilsa) and sweet tomato chutney.